3,000 metres to go

Friday, September 4: The challenge8000 team arrived at base camp. This is the Chinese camp where they will be spending three nights in individual tents. Until now, team members have only reported minor physical ailments, such as slight nausea and headaches as their bodies are adjusting to the new altitudes. The base camp is 15,000 feet above sea level.

Saturday, September 5: It snowed lightly and at sunrise the temperature was around five degrees Celsius.

The team will be spending three nights at base camp waiting for their bodies to acclimatise. Waiting will be the name of the game from now onwards. In the first week of their expedition they have already climbed to over 5,000 metres with summit being just over 3,000 metres away. But those 3,000 metres will take some six weeks to tackle, physically and mentally.

The next six weeks are expected to get exponentially harder as the team climb into harsher and more unforgiving terrain and as the solitude and physical difficulties increase.